How much do women footballers get paid? England player salaries revealed
The Lionesses continue to act as trailblazers for millions of women and girls across the country and their enhanced profile has been reflected by their increased pay in recent years – even if it is still much less than their male counterparts at club level.
So, how much do professional women footballers such as Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson make compared to their colleagues playing the men's game?
Here is everything you need to know about how much England players earn at their clubs.
Women's Super League (WSL) is the top league in women's football in England.
WSL players receive an average salary of £25,000 to £27,000 per year.
The biggest names can earn much more than this, such as Chelsea's Sam Kerr, who is reported to earn a salary of around £400,000 per year.
However, while it's equivalent to the Premier League in status (i.e. it's the top league you can play in), there's a big difference when it comes to the money.
In 2019, The Guardian reported that an average Premier League player's pay was around £61,000 per week – totalling more than £3 million a year.
Many big-name players, of course, will be earning even more than that.
The Football Association now pays players on both England teams equally for representing their country.
The fee is around £2,000 per match, with many players opting to give the money away to charity – although that is not a requirement. More Trending
The FA says: 'The FA pays its women's players exactly the same as their male counterparts for representing England, both in terms of match fees and match bonuses.
'This parity has been in place since January 2020.'
The Lionesses were paid a bonus of £55,000 by the FA for winning Euro 2022, on top of their usual match fee.
The team will likely bank more money from the FA if they defend their title against Spain in the Euro 2025 final.
Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Share your views in the comments below
MORE: Meet Sarina Wiegman's husband Marten Glotzbach cheering her on in Women's Euros Final
MORE: Why are Mary Earps and Millie Bright not playing for England at Euro 2025?
MORE: Ian Wright speaks out on England's surprise change for Women's Euro 2025 final against Spain
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
a few seconds ago
- Scottish Sun
FA release statement warning England fans NOT to travel to the airport as Lioness heroes fly home after Euro 2025 glory
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ENGLAND fans have been warned NOT to travel to the airport as the Lionesses heroes land back to the UK on Monday. Sarina Wiegman's side won back-to-back Euros titles after defeating world champions Spain 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Switzerland last night. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 England fans have been urged NOT to travel to the airport as the Lionesses heroes return to the UK Credit: EPA But the FA have released a statement begging jubilant England fans to stay away from airports. A spokesperson wrote: "Our history-making Lionesses will return home this afternoon. "But due to limited space at the airport, we would advise fans not to travel there today. "Instead, we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Central London tomorrow for the homecoming celebrations." READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS BANK ON IT No10 confirms if there will be bank holiday for Lionesses' Euros win The move is to ensure the players' smooth and safe arrival, preventing potential overcrowding and logistical nightmares at what will be extremely busy airports. Instead, supporters are being encouraged to join in the official homecoming celebrations planned in London on Tuesday. Starting at 12.10pm, the bus will drive past fans along The Mall before ending with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace at around 12.30pm. And this afternoon the Lionesses will be treated to a special reception at 10 Downing Street in celebration of the historic victory. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS Hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Sports Minister the victorious side will be welcomed alongside coaches and representatives from the Football Association. England's historic win saw them become the first English side to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Inside Lionesses' boozy Euro 2025 celebrations as stars party with pizzas, beers and loved ones after win over Spain It also saw them defend their 2022 Euros title, having beaten Germany 2-1 in the previous final at Wembley. The parade will be broadcast live across the BBC, ITV and Sky between 12pm and 1pm for those who can't make the historic event. Sunday's final was full of twists and turns, with England falling behind in the 25th minute to a header from Mariona Caldentey. However, the Lionesses roared back with a header of their own from Alessia Russo in the 57th minute to equalise the game. The teams then tussled back and forth throughout the rest of normal and extra time before a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. Ultimately, two heroic saves from Hannah Hampton allowed star player Chloe Kelly to fire home the winning penalty, securing victory for the Lionesses. 3 England celebrated long into the night after winning the European Championships 3 The room was packed with booze and loved ones And the team will likely be feeling a little worse for wear ahead of their flight home after partying UNTIL 4AM on Monday morning. After an emotional trophy lift and plenty of on-pitch celebrations, the England team kept the party going as they returned to their team hotel for a massive bash. Friends, family, staff and loved ones all awaited the Lionesses as they flooded through the doors wearing their "CHAMPIONS 25" shirts. While captain Leah Williamson and boss Wiegman even cut a custom-made football cake that had been brought in for the team to celebrate. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
The Guardian
a minute ago
- The Guardian
England has finally found a way to banish all the 'years of hurt'. It's called women's football and the Lionesses
It felt like deja vu when Chloe Kelly smashed the ball into the back of the net, winning the game for the Lionesses and signalling the end of the Women's Euro 2025 final. England beat Spain after a tense penalty shootout. The word of the tournament was 'resilience', declared presenter Gabby Logan after the game. It is hard to argue with that. It was as though the team had written a list of milestones they were ticking off as the tournament progressed. They are the first English senior team to defend their title, and the first to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Their coach, Sarina Wiegman, simply said: 'A team is what we really are. We can win by any means.' And that positivity was infectious. They genuinely believed in themselves, and in turn we believed in them. When Lucy Bronze casually revealed she'd played the entire tournament with a fractured tibia – 'If that's what it takes to play for England, that's what I'll do' – it encapsulated the attitude that surrounds the whole team. Unlike the men, we never questioned if any of the players even wanted to be there due to a lack of financial incentive given that international matches pay so much less than they earn for club games. I tried to work out what felt so different for me watching them rather than the men's team. Not once did I give up hope. I never once had to 'self-soothe' by cramming sugary snacks down my throat. There was no mental preparation for the inevitable disappointment of yet another loss. Amid the celebrations, a question: why are we continually chasing glory through our men's teams when the women are the ones delivering? They have reached three major tournament finals in a row and have the level of success that the men's team can only dream of. There is a disdain we see time and time again across different sports. The women's rugby team have suffered the same kind of patronising attitude as well as those who compete on the track and field. The men's 100m final is referred to as 'the jewel in the crown' of track and field events: the women don't get nearly as much attention. It wasn't easy: it's never easy. Their tournament was briefly marred by the widespread media coverage of the online racial abuse received by Jess Carter after the admittedly dismal performance in that first game against France. But refusing to let that be the story, the Lionesses acted quickly, condemning the 'online poison', putting out a unified statement and announcing that they were opting to not take the knee before matches, as 'we and football need a new way to tackle racism.' After the final, Carter revealed she had been next up to take a penalty had Kelly missed, confessing she hadn't wanted to take it. Who could blame her? No one needs reminding of the racist abuse and death threats received by her male counterparts Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka during the Men's Euro 2020 final. She also said she had been 'disappointed' at how she had been painted during the tournament, but now 'couldn't give a damn'. The sweet taste of victory had clearly been enough to remove the bitterness left by the abuse. The 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang, who had been a ballgirl at Wembley only four years ago, was named young player of the tournament in recognition of the fact the goals she scored in the quarter-final against Sweden and the semi-final against Italy saved England from elimination. The fact that, days earlier, she had been left off a photo of the team attached to a 'good luck' message issued by Buckingham Palace didn't seem to be on her mind at all. Today's joy is infectious: for the nation, for the nation's women. I can have a different conversation today with my daughter. We can talk about the team and what it is to be tough. We can talk about the naysayers, like Piers Morgan's 32-year-old son Spencer, who perhaps wants to be a contrarian just like his dad when he grows up, posted on X: 'That shootout was the funniest thing I've seen since the last one. 'Why can't the men win?' Because they're playing against people capable of kicking a ball,' he said. The dinosaurs: they live, they tweet. I remember seeing an interview with opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa after her retirement, when she was asked what it had been like to live at the height of her glory days. She replied: 'I hadn't realised at the time that's what they were.' For the Lionesses these are their glory days. Stop singing about 'years of hurt' and enjoy their success. It's everyone's success. Ava Vidal is a standup comedian based in London and patron of the charity Show Racism the Red Card
BBC News
a minute ago
- BBC News
Newport Pagnell celebrates Lioness Leah Williamson's Euro success
Football fans have been celebrating in the home town of England captain Leah Williamson. The Lionesses retained their European crown by beating Spain 3-1 on penalties in the final of Euro 1,000 people watched the match on a big screen in Williamson's home town Newport Pagnell, near Milton Keynes, with hundreds packed into its pubs."What she's done is amazing - she's the first English person to lift two European trophies," said her brother Jacob Williamson. "I thought the first time would be the best time of my life - seeing her win again is the best thing in the world." England became the first nation to retain the women's Euros since Germany won six in a row from 1995 to were captained by Williamson both 2023 she opened a pitch in her honour at Newport Pagnell Town FC, where her career began. "The support she gets in Newport is mental, genuinely mental - the best thing is she's from Newport, the worst thing is she missed the penalty, but we'll let her off, we'll let her off," Mr Williamson joked. "What she's done for women's football is incredible - and I've never seen so many people celebrate before in my life." Paul Day, the town's mayor, was among the fans who screamed themselves hoarse with joy over the win, while watching it on a big screen set up in the town. "She is an inspirational leader and this town loves football, loves Leah Williamson and loves England because we are the European champions again," he said."We've got knocking on 1,000 people here, people came down and I know all across the town in all the pubs and the clubs, people will also be going crazy for England and Leah Williamson." England will have a homecoming celebration for their historic triumph with fans at an event in central London on will be an open-top bus procession along The Mall, which will start at 12:10 BST, ending with a staged ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace starting at around 12:30. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
